In the current environment, healthcare spending accounts for over 15% of the GDP according to a 2004 General Accounting Office report to Congress. Of the funds expended for health care each year, the National Health Care Anti-fraud Association (NHCAA) estimated that at least 3% was lost to fraud. This amounts to in excess of $60 Billion lost to fraud each year.
Health Care fraud can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Providers can bill for services or equipment not provided, administering tests that are not medically necessary, administering more expensive tests and equipment (up-coding), multiple billing for services or unbundling of lab tests performed together among others. There are even instances of policy holders letting others use their health care cards to receive improper benefits as well as instances of medical identity theft that contribute to the ongoing health care fraud problem.
The present invention is directed to a novel method for helping to detect and reduce fraudulent healthcare claims.